


The Bonds Of Trust

by RySenkari



Series: The Unbroken Princesses [2]
Category: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Light Bondage, Mild Language, Post-Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), Tickling, rayaari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29939853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RySenkari/pseuds/RySenkari
Summary: A short time after Namaari's "punishment" at the hands of Raya, Raya ventures to Fang's royal palace, and asks Namaari to help her with some escape training. As Raya tries her best to escape, she and her "captor" have plenty of time to think about everything they've been through... and begin to bond in more ways than one.
Relationships: Namaari/Raya (Disney)
Series: The Unbroken Princesses [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201877
Comments: 8
Kudos: 158





	The Bonds Of Trust

**Author's Note:**

> This story has some pretty major spoilers, so don't read it if you haven't seen the movie and don't want to be spoiled! It also takes place after my earlier story "Raya And The Last Laugh", so be sure to read that one first.

Raya had always imagined her first visit to the bedchambers of Fang's princess would go somewhat differently. She had imagined a daring nighttime heist, swiping Fang's Dragon Gem piece and leaving the princess fuming behind her.

Of course, now there was no need for the theft of Dragon Gem pieces, or sneaking around, or deception. The land of Kumandra was united, and the five realms were at peace... and Raya and Namaari were no longer bitter rivals, but friends who were becoming closer every day.

And so, Raya's first visit to Namaari's bedchambers wasn't a visit under the pretense of lies and thievery. It was a visit conducted under the princess' mutual desire to become closer and to learn to trust one another. Raya had been invited, and Namaari was more than happy to see her.

And after a brief conversation, in which the two spent time discussing what they'd been up to in the two weeks since the reuniting of Kumandra and the beginning of the new peace, in which Raya complimented the dragon scrolls Namaari had just put up on her otherwise bare walls, and in which Namaari brought up her own visit to the realm of Heart the previous week, the conversation had shifted to another subject. A short time later, Raya found herself kneeling on the floor, as Namaari knelt down behind her.

It was a position similar to the one Namaari had found herself in the previous week, when she'd asked Raya to... 'punish' her for all the wrongs she'd committed, and Raya had come up with a very creative punishment involving tickling that made Namaari realize how silly she'd been when the entire realm had already forgiven her.

Now, Raya was asking for something similar... but this wasn't a punishment.

It was more like an... unorthodox training exercise.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" asked Namaari. She was holding a long coil of rope in her hands, and next to her on the floor were two more coils, ready to be used.

"It's like I told you," said Raya, holding her crossed wrists behind her back and looking over her shoulder with a smile. "I needed help to squirm out of the ropes that Tong trapped me and Sisu in. I need to practice getting out of situations like that in the future, and you're the perfect person to help me.”

“It's not that, I meant...” Namaari bowed her head, hesitating as she held up the ropes that she planned to use to bind Raya's wrists. Her voice trailed off, and Raya could see the uncertainty in her eyes.

“It's okay,” replied Raya. “I trust you.”

Raya didn't have a hint of doubt in her voice, and that was all that Namaari needed to take the next step. She began to wind the ropes around Raya's wrists, making sure not to leave a lot of slack, but also making sure not to tie them so tightly that she risked cutting off her friend's circulation.

“I have to warn you, I'm not the best at this sort of thing,” said Namaari. She finished tightening the ropes, and Raya's fists clenched and her wrists flexed as she tested the bonds. “Mom trained me not to take prisoners, so I haven't had a lot of practice in binding them.”

“I see,” replied Raya. Her shoulders began to jerk as she continued to test the ropes, and when she realized they were indeed secure, she stopped and rested for a moment, watching as Namaari prepared more bindings. “...have you ever... killed anyone?”

Namaari's eyes widened, and her expression turned slightly perturbed. Raya picked up on it, but before she could apologize for asking such a personal question, Namaari shook her head.

“No... fortunately, I've never had the occasion,” said Namaari, who then started to wrap this second coil of rope around Raya's arms and chest, further pinning her wrists behind her. “I've usually been intimidating enough to scare my foes into surrender or escape, and when that failed, I've been able to beat them into submission. I've never had to kill anyone, and now, thanks to you, I probably never will.”

Raya smiled and let out a quiet sigh. She too had been placed into situations where she might've needed to kill, but though she was prepared to do so, she'd never had to take that terrible step.

“Sorry I asked,” she said, looking back up at Namaari. “It's just... when I heard you were trained never to take prisoners, I just-”

“You just assumed?” Namaari asked, holding up the final coil of rope and raising her eyebrow.

“Hey, you're pretty hardcore, I was just curious.”

Namaari sighed, unable to blame Raya for making that assumption. In the last six years, she'd done a lot of things she regretted... the circumstances all of Kumandra was in had forced everyone to make terrible compromises, both Raya and herself, and she was just glad that everything was better now. As she started to wrap the final coil of rope around Raya's ankles, she too became curious about something, and decided that now was a good time to try and lighten the mood with a different subject.

“So what's the reason you want to practice escape techniques all of a sudden?” asked Namaari. She began to take the rope around Raya's ankles, as the princess of Heart wiggled her bare feet slightly up and down, almost as if she was starting to get a bit nervous about all of this. “You've united all of Kumandra, the fighting's over. I get wanting to keep your skills sharp, but you're not planning to get in trouble again any time soon, are you?”

“Maybe,” said Raya, smirking up at Namaari. “I mean, sure, the war's over and the Druun are gone, but there might still be some bad people out there who need an attitude adjustment... and I might even have to deal with an evil dragon or two! I know the dragons are benevolent creatures who are devoted to helping us, but the legends do speak of a dragon who relishes in cruelty and walks undetected amongst humans to trick us...”

“Right, the legend of the Shadow Dragon!” said Namaari, suddenly perking up as she recalled one of her old lessons. “Mom always said that the Shadow Dragon can take any form, and can even call upon an army of enthralled warriors to do its bidding...”

“Exactly!” said Raya, curling her toes a bit as Namaari secured the knot holding her bound ankles together. “Sisu and her brothers and sisters can probably handle it, but there's no harm in being properly prepared in case it's too much for them to handle, right?”

“I guess you're right... and besides, I do need practice securing prisoners just in case any thieves or con artists show up to make trouble.”

“So we're _both_ getting in some much needed training right now. See, I told you this would be enlightening.”

Raya then began to test the ropes again, squirming and struggling in her bonds. She shifted from side to side, flexing her arms and shifting her legs. In her current kneeling position, she couldn't do a whole lot of struggling, but she imagined that she'd be on the floor soon enough, flopping around as vigorously as Namaari was during her tickle torture session at the princess of Heart's hands the week before. Namaari watched with a smirk, silently glad that her bonds were holding despite her lack of practice.

“Everything good?” asked Namaari, standing up and walking around in front of Raya. “Think you can get out of that?”

“Oh, I _know_ I can get out of it,” Raya replied confidently. “I bet I'll be out of these ropes in no time at all! You'll need a lot more practice with rope tying than I'll need in rope escaping!”

Namaari rolled her eyes, snickering slightly at Raya's cocky boast. She had to admit that she enjoyed Raya's confident personality, which stood in contrast with her more serious, subdued one. Namaari  _was_ quite confident herself, but she'd also been harboring so much hidden guilt that it had weighed heavily on her, and she was never quite so arrogant and boastful as Raya was. Sometimes, she almost wished she could be as carefree as Raya, unburdened by her duties, untethered by expectations... able to shake things off more quickly. 

She knew that the longer she spent with Raya, the more confident she would become. It was a good feeling... and she hoped to spend a lot more time with her in the future.

“Remember, if you can't get out fast enough, I get to... motivate you,” said Namaari, leaning in toward Raya and holding out her hands. She clenched her fingers together a couple times, emulating a crab's pincers and reminding Raya of what had happened last week, after Namaari had been freed. “So you'd better be right about being able to get out.”

Raya shivered nervously, thinking back to just how quickly Namaari had found her most sensitive spot, and how eager she'd been to tickle it. She bit her lip, blushing very slightly, before looking back up at her Fang “captor” and re-issuing her confident boast.

“I just need a couple of minutes and these ropes will be on the floor, _binturi_!”

For the first time since Raya's visit had begun, Namaari let out a loud laugh, her shoulders and chest shaking. She shook her head softly, then walked over to grab one more thing.

“Almost forgot,” said Namaari, picking something up from a nearby table. “That smart mouth of yours.”

Raya gulped, watching as Namaari walked over with one arm behind her back.

“Wait a second, you're not going to shove a dirty rag in my mouth, are you?!” asked Raya, her eyes darting back and forth. Namaari chuckled, then shook her head.

“Unlike you, I have a lot more class than that,” said Namaari, holding up a roll of what looked like beige colored paper. “We use this to patch up leaks in the canal system and to secure poles together for transport. Parchment paper, coated on one side with tree sap. Patches up leaks, patches up boats... patches up smart mouths.”

Namaari tore a strip of the sticky paper off the roll, and before Raya could say anything, pressed the paper down over Raya's lips. Raya let out a squeal, moving her mouth around underneath, but it held fast, and she was silenced.

“Mmmmnph!”

“It'll probably hurt a little coming off... but it's better than dirty laundry, right?”

“MMMMMNNNNPH!!!”

“Yeah, I think I prefer you better this way... you're not quite so annoying when you can't speak.”

“Whmmm ymmmoumph...!”

Namaari then sat down on the edge of her bed, her legs apart, leaning over to watch Raya squirm. Raya immediately fell onto her side and started to really struggle, kicking her bound legs wildly and jerking her shoulders and arms fiercely back and forth, while her lips continued to move under the tape and her eyes grew wide with surprise at just how tightly she was secured. She grunted and groaned, her struggles mostly consisting of wild kicks, but try as she might, the ropes held. She looked up at Namaari again and narrowed her eyes, issuing a few curses as Namaari leaned in further.

“Something wrong?”

Raya paused for a moment, her blush returning. After a few seconds of thinking, she shook her head fiercely and resumed her struggles while Namaari watched confidently from her bed.

“I hope you're as good as you say, or your punishment's going to be pretty rough.”

“Yrrr nmmmt tmmmklmmng mmm, Nmmmmri!” shouted Raya, concentrating on trying to get her wrists free as she jerked her arms up and down. Though Namaari had told her she was out of practice, clearly she had _some_ skill at it, as despite Raya's struggles, not an inch of slack had formed, and she soon found herself more frustrated than ever. “Cmm mmmn!!”

Namaari took a moment to soak in the strange situation she found herself in. Her former rival, the fugitive princess of Heart, was bound and gagged in her room, struggling ferociously. At one time, Namaari might've felt quite victorious on such an occasion... and surprisingly, she sort of felt victorious now, though a different kind of feeling than one would have triumphing over a conquered foe.

Raya had  _allowed_ Namaari to do this to her. That would've been unthinkable just two weeks ago. Then again, Raya had trusted Namaari with something far more important than her own personal well-being...

_Why am I so surprised she trusts me to do this to her, when she handed those Dragon Gem pieces over to me?_

Namaari slumped her shoulders, briefly lost in thought.

_Why did she trust me at all?_

Meanwhile, Raya was fighting as fiercely as ever. These ropes were even tighter than the ones that Tong had used on her, and unlike that occasion, she didn't have Sisu around to give her more confidence. She thought it would be easy to escape, but Namaari had really tied her tight, and Raya realized quickly that she'd need to put all her effort into it if she was going to escape.

She sat up and began scooting along the floor, trying to rub her ankle bonds off on the hard floor beneath her while at the same time trying to wiggle out of the ropes tied around her arms. She knew that if she could get her arms free, she could take her bound wrists and pass them under her legs to get them in front of her, then she could get the tape off her mouth, chew off her wrist ropes, and she'd be free.

_One thing at a time, Raya. You've got this._

She knew she wasn't in any actual danger, save for perhaps having her tummy tickled again, but she definitely wanted to prove to Namaari that she could get herself free. They might not have been bitter rivals anymore, but they were still rivals in a sense, and every time Raya showed off to her, and every time she saw that Namaari was just a little bit impressed, she felt more confidence than she'd ever felt before.

She was even starting to value Namaari's praise more than that of her own father.

“You free yet?” asked Namaari. Raya looked up and could see her laying on the bed, perusing a dragon scroll and not even watching her.

“Shmmmt mmmp!” Raya snapped back at her, squirming over to the bed where Namaari was laying. “Mmmnd pmmt dmmn thmt scrmmmml!”

“Sorry, I was just starting to get bored,” Namaari replied, putting the scroll down and sitting up to look down at Raya. “I don't think you've made even a bit of progress.... what's the matter, you like being tied up on my floor?”

“GRRMMMMPH!”

Namaari's taunting made Raya struggle with renewed vigor, and she pushed herself quickly to her feet, before starting to hop around the room. She twisted back and forth, shoulders and arms moving wildly as she hopped, hoping that if she had enough room to move around, she could at least work some more slack into the ropes around her chest. Namaari watched with keen interest, impressed with Raya's ability to keep herself balanced while hopping around with her ankles tied, and somewhat transfixed with the intensity of her struggles.

_Damn, you're really giving it everything you've got..._ thought Namaari, unable to look away as Raya's fierce determination caused her entire upper body to move up and down like a wildly dancing snake, the bonds tantalizingly flexing along with her. A bright red blush crossed Namaari's face, and she leaned in a bit, her legs dangling off the end of the bed.  _Looking good, princess..._

Raya continued to struggle, crying out under the tape as she tried to rub her bound wrists against her lower back to slip off the knot keeping them tied. Failing this, she jerked her shoulders around one more time, bending her entire body over and letting out a loud groan of frustration. Sweat was now sliding down her face, but she cared little for getting messy, her hair swishing around as she kept at it with her struggles.

Raya continued to squirm, and Namaari continued to watch.

Then, as Raya bent herself back up, still unable to loosen the ropes, their eyes met again. Namaari, whose lips had curved into a sly smile, let out a sudden gasp and leaned back, and Raya too let out a squeal. She took a single hop toward Namaari, but with stars in her eyes and warmth in her face, she couldn't keep her balance, and fell to the floor with a thud.

“Ooommmph!”

Namaari leaned over, concern on her face, and started to ask if Raya was okay... but when she saw more annoyance than pain in the Heart princess' eyes, she smiled once again and gave a dismissive grunt.

“Better focus more on those ropes than on me,” said Namaari, continuing to dangle her bare feet over the end of the bed. “Or I see punishment in your future.”

“SHMMT MMMP!” squealed Raya, wiggling back and forth on the floor. She squealed again in frustration, and was soon met with another taunting gesture, as one of Namaari's long, slender feet went right over her face. “MMMMMMMNNNPH!”

“You make a good foot rest,” Namaari said, pressing her foot down somewhat hard on Raya's nose.

Raya shrieked, remembering what had happened last week when Namaari's foot was in close proximity with her face... but upon taking a forced breath through her nostrils, she let out a sigh of relief.

_You did wash them,_ thought Raya, her nose barely unable to discern anything different from the faint aroma of flower petals drifting through the open window.  _This is still uncomfortable though!_

Raya thought about just rolling away, but instead, she thought for a moment and smirked. She began to rub the tip of her nose against the sole of Namaari's foot, and after a couple seconds, Namaari, as ticklish as ever, was forced to yank it away.

“Hey! Foot rests aren't supposed to move!”

_Still that ticklish, huh?_ thought Raya, smirking under the tape as Namaari glared down at her.

“The only one who'll be doing any tickling here is me,” said Namaari, who suddenly got up from the bed and got on top of Raya, leaning down over her with her fingers primed over the princess' sensitive navel. “And you've got one minute left to get out of those ropes before I give you a lot more incentive!”

Raya growled fiercely, then renewed her struggles, kicking and thrashing wildly as Namaari leaned over her, primed to strike.

“You'd better hurry, Raya... the clock's ticking.”

“Nmmmmri...!!! Mmmll gmmt mmmt mmmf thmms!”

“Remember how much you squealed last week?”

“Nmmt mms mmmch mmms ymm dmmd whmmn mm tmmcklmd yrr fmmt!!”

“Oh, it was a _lot_ more. Face it, Raya, you're more ticklish than me and you're just as bad at being able to get out of ropes.”

“Shmmt mmmp!”

Namaari's taunting was certainly motivating, and Raya was struggling as hard as ever... but the ropes continued to hold fast, and Raya hadn't made even a tiny bit of progress. She didn't know what to think about Namaari leaning over her like this... she wanted to tell her to move, so she had more room to struggle... but that hadn't helped her before, and having Namaari so close actually did serve to give her some extra motivation in a strange sort of way. Raya prided herself on overcoming adversity, and there was nothing more inspiring than staring into the eyes of your foe in defiance and overcoming their most ferocious efforts. Raya's shoulders jerked, her legs bent up and down, and her eyes, when they weren't squinted shut in her efforts, were fierce and furious, showing Namaari that she wouldn't back down no matter what. Raya was in the greatest struggle of her life, and she wasn't about to let anyone get the best of her, especially Namaari!

Namaari had never seen Raya so determined. Even when they'd been facing each other down in combat, Raya's eyes had never been so fierce, her struggles never so powerful... and the more she looked at Raya, the more excited she became.

_She's the bravest person I've ever met... I could watch her do this all day._

Finally, Raya had to stop and catch her breath. The ropes around her arms, wrists, and ankles were still as tight as ever, and her nostrils flared fiercely as she tried to regain her strength. After a brief moment when her eyes were wide with shock at just how futile her efforts were, she narrowed them as soon as she saw Namaari smiling down at her.

“Mmm...nmmt... gmmmvmng mmmp...” muffled Raya, even leaning up a bit until their noses were just a few inches apart.

“Too late,” said Namaari, her fingers poised over Raya's bare tummy.

“...nmm, Nmmmri, wmmt-”

The next sound out of Raya's sealed lips was laughter, overwhelming laughter as Namaari's fingers pressed into her tummy, just above her belly button. She already knew where Raya's most ticklish spots were, and she attacked them relentlessly, digging into them and making Raya scream out with every movement.

“Don't stop struggling!” shouted Namaari, even as she continued to torment Raya with her long fingers.

“MMMM NMMMT!!!” Raya screamed, tears already falling down her face as Namaari's fingers went on the attack. Her body curled and jerked, her chest convulsing with laughter, but even then, she tried as hard as she could to get her wrists and ankles out of the ropes.

“Your enemies won't have any mercy, so I won't either!”

“MMMM TRMMMYMMNG!!!” screamed Raya, starting to kick around now as Namaari's fingers dug into the area right around her belly button. She let out another loud shriek, and as she continued to kick, Namaari grabbed Raya and held her tightly, arms wrapped around her from behind, her legs wrapped around Raya's to stop her kicks. “NMMMM!!”

“Fight with everything you have, Raya, don't you dare quit!”

Quitting was the last thing on Raya's mind, but now, with Namaari's limbs adding to her already tight bonds, Raya started to realize that escape was impossible. She struggled with everything she had, her head and shoulders moving fiercely, her legs trying to kick out of Namaari's, occasionally able to do so but soon pinned down again. She tried to move her belly away from the tickling, but this was absolutely impossible, and Namaari's hands were digging in with even more energy, relentlessly torturing Raya's sweat-slicked skin and attacking every single vulnerability.

“MHMHMHMHMHMHM! MHMHMHMHM!!! NMMMMRRRIIII-HM-HM-HM-HM!!!”

Raya was struggling to breathe, but never felt out of breath entirely. Just when it seemed like she was in dire need of oxygen, Namaari would pull back just a tiny bit, allowing her to suck in a large gulp of air and resume her struggles. She was quite uncomfortable, but Namaari never let her feel more than a mild bit of pain... this was a tickle torture session, not a _real_ one.

And yet, Namaari still did everything to keep Raya motivated. She taunted her, she insulted her, though never too harshly. She wanted Raya to struggle... she wanted Raya to succeed.

_Come on, Raya, prove me wrong. Get free. Turn the tables. Be the fierce hero I know you are._

But as the tickling continued, Raya found her energy fading more and more... her struggles were slowing. Her screaming was quieting. She needed more breaks to catch her breath. She was still giving it everything she had, but what she had was fading fast.

Namaari kept at it, pushing her fingers into Raya's toned stomach, digging in hard, knowing Raya could take it. Raya obliged with continued struggling and squealing, and even as she was starting to tire, she didn't relent, didn't show any signs of giving up.

“Mll gmmmt ymmm, bmmntrri....!” shrieked Raya through another wave of laughter, feeling Namaari's fingers continuing to work the area around her navel. “Yrrr brrrly tmmmkclmmng mmm!”

“Not the best move, insulting somebody when you're bound and gagged,” said Namaari, leaning over Raya's shoulder. “For one thing, you're totally helpless and making your captor even madder. Also, I can't even understand-”

“Fmmck ymm!” shouted Raya, her taped lips then curving into a sly smirk. Namaari gasped slightly, then smirked as well, leaning in close.

“You too, _dep la_ ,” replied Namaari, who then pressed her fingers hard into Raya's tummy and tickled her with all her might, harder and faster than she'd ever been tickled before. Raya screamed, and was now barely able to struggle or taunt Namaari or do anything other than shake with laughter, as her chest started to burn with her thrashing. “Never thought I'd hear language like that out of you!”

Namaari pretended to be insulted... but her eyes betrayed the fact that she was actually quite pleased.

_So defiant in the face of danger... even I don't think I could be that defiant. Raya, you never cease to amaze._

This latest wave of tickling was more than even Raya could endure, and as she shook wildly, Namaari could feel that her struggles were ceasing and that Raya was focusing too much on trying to catch her breath and not enough on actually getting out. She relented, and Raya immediately fell limp in Namaari's arms, her nose moving rapidly as she tried to regain her oxygen.

“Raya?” asked Namaari with concern, reaching up to turn Raya's head back around. “You okay?”

Raya turned her head around on her own, and raised her eyebrow.

“Whmm ymm stmmph?” Raya asked, blinking. She started to struggle again, but it was much weaker than before, and Namaari sighed and looked down to inspect Raya's bonds. The ropes had barely budged. “Nmmmri?”

“I think you've had enough,” said Namaari, suddenly picking up the princess of Heart and putting her over her shoulder.

“Nmmm...!” groaned Raya, kicking her legs weakly up and down. She groaned again as Namaari placed her down on the bed, then sighed as Namaari got on the bed next to her. “Mmm wmms mmmlmmst frrmmm!”

“No, Raya, you weren't... good effort, though.”

Raya sighed again, disappointed in herself for not being able to get free. Her arms and legs ached, her chest was still sore from laughing, and she was soaked in sweat from her struggles, but she mostly looked upset that she'd failed to escape, and Namaari could see the intense disappointment on Raya's face.

“Hey, I couldn't get free either, and you tied me up less than I tied you, so... guess we're both pretty lousy at escaping, huh?”

Raya nodded her head, blushing slightly and looking away from Namaari. Namaari was blushing as well, and she soon reached down to lift up Raya's chin and look into her eyes.

“Hey... mom always told me the best escape trick is never getting captured in the first place,” said Namaari. “Apart from that incident you told me about with your big Spine friend, you seem to be pretty good at that.”

Namaari could see the smile forming on Raya's face, even though the tape hid her lips. As much as she had enjoyed the break from her friend's insults and taunting, she was starting to get bored again, and needed someone to talk to... or maybe she just wanted to see Raya's smile. She reached up and gently peeled off a small corner of the tape.

“I'm gonna take this off on three, okay? It'll sting, but I imagine you want to talk again, right?”

“Mmhmm,” said Raya with a calm nod, before wincing her eyes shut. _Hoo boy, here goes..._

“One... two... three.”

Namaari ripped off the tape in a single motion, and Raya let out a loud scream and then a loud swear.

“Ahhh! I think I would've preferred the dirty rag!”

“Yeah, probably,” replied Namaari, crumpling up the piece of tape and tossing it away. “So... how was it?”

“How was what?”

“The escape practice? Did you have fun, or are you upset you couldn't get free?”

“Hmmm...”

Raya squirmed a bit, the ropes still tight around her arms and legs, but seemingly causing her little discomfort as she lay next to Namaari, who didn't seem to be in any hurry to remove them.

“Upset, but not too much... just gives me some motivation for next time. And what gives, you said you were bad at tying ropes, but those were really tight!”

Namaari blushed slightly at Raya's compliment... was it really a compliment? Raya didn't seem all that upset... and Namaari had never been complimented on her rope tying skills before.

“Guess I don't forget things easily,” said Namaari, placing her hand on Raya's shoulder. “Last time I took rope tying lessons was three years ago, guess it really stuck.”

Raya smiled, and seemed to enjoy having Namaari's hand on her shoulder, as she didn't try to move it away. Instead, she paused for a moment to let her friend's words sink in... and wondered just how good Namaari's memory truly was.

“Can I ask you something else? About something that happened a long time ago?”

“I... guess so,” said Namaari.

“What was real?”

“Huh?”

Namaari blinked at Raya's question, still unsure about just what the princess was asking her. Raya leaned in, and Namaari's hand lifted from her shoulder.

“When we met in Heart six years ago, and you tricked me into letting you see the Gem-”

Namaari immediately bowed her head, regret evident in her eyes. Raya leaned in, and brushed her nose against Namaari's cheek. Namaari's eyes widened, and her blush returned at the surprisingly intimate gesture.

“It's okay, I'm not mad anymore... I've forgiven you completely, but I've always wondered just how much of it was real. Our connection, our friendship... was all of it a lie, or did you actually like me back then, even just a little?”

Namaari wanted to ask Raya just why she was bringing this up now... especially when Raya was still tightly tied up in her bed and the two were supposed to be recovering from an escape practice session. But when Namaari saw the longing in Raya's eyes, and just how serious she was about wanting to know the truth, she knew she wouldn't be able to wave this conversation off by freeing Raya and saying goodbye to her.

She would've racked her brain for the memories, but she didn't have to. Namaari, like Raya, still remembered that day as if it were yesterday.

“Getting close to you, giving you the gift... that was all part of the lie,” said Namaari. “Mom and I rehearsed it together for a year before the banquet... I was to get close, befriend you, and ask you to take me to the gem.”

“I... see,” said Raya, who already knew what Namaari was going to say, but was still disappointed to hear her speak it from her lips.

“But... I'd never seen you before... and I didn't really know who you were... so I never expected to feel such a...”

Namaari trailed off again, reaching up to her hair and running her hand through it. Raya remembered the gesture as the same nervous hair part Namaari had done all the way back then, six years ago... when they'd first looked into each other's eyes.

“I never expected you to be such a good person,” said Namaari softly, her regret now plainly evident as she spoke. “I never expected you to be so...”

Namaari hesitated.

“So what?” asked Raya.

“Pretty,” replied Namaari, who found it harder and harder to hide anything from Raya the more she spoke to her. “Nearly everything I said to you that day was part of the act, but I did feel a real longing to be your friend. The more we talked, the kinder you were to me, the harder it became to lie to you. I kept telling myself it was all for Fang, for my people... and I felt so proud when those guards came in to get the Gem. I thought I had done my duty, and I pushed everything else to the back of my mind.”

Raya remembered the taunting smirk Namaari had given her as she'd left... that smirk had been burned into her memory, and after the Druun were released and her father was turned to stone, it became a driver of her hatred. All this time, she'd thought _everything_ was a lie. But now, when she looked into Namaari's eyes, and heard the slight quiver in her voice, she knew... she knew that even though Namaari had done all of it proudly and eagerly, she knew there had always been a part of her that regretted that day.

“For years after that day, I tried to remind myself that I'd done the right thing. I tried to forget how kind you were to me. I tried to remind myself that Heart just wanted the Dragon Gem all to itself, and that my people had suffered because of you... but it was a lie, a lie I'd told myself to feel better about what I'd done... to feel better that we could never be friends. It got easier when I found out you'd been trying to steal Dragon Gem pieces, but even then, I still remembered how kind you were on that day.”

Raya and Namaari could both see the deep regret in each other's eyes. They wished that day had turned out differently... but they could also see the flicker of hope that now that things were different, and Kumandra was at peace, they could be friends...

They could be more.

“We both lied to ourselves, and to each other,” said Raya, her expression softening. “But now I know we had a real connection.”

“And I used it to betray you,” replied Namaari.

“And I tried to kill you,” said Raya, not giving Namaari the chance to hate herself again. “Namaari, look at me.”

Namaari looked into Raya's eyes, and thought for a moment that Raya might try to kiss her... something she definitely wasn't ready for, but at the same time, probably wouldn't have minded. Her eyes were burning slightly... she could feel the beginning of tears.

“Not at my face, look down,” said Raya, gesturing below her neck. Namaari looked, and could see the ropes still tied tightly around her friend's body, continuing to bind her limbs. “I'm completely tied up, completely at your mercy... and completely comfortable. I'm not scared at all. I trust you with my life, Namaari.”

“Well, to be fair, if I hurt you it would cause a major diplomatic-”

“Don't ruin the moment,” said Raya, smiling. “The point is, I let you do this to me because you're my friend now and I trust you completely. You could do anything you wanted with me.”

“Raya,” said Namaari, reaching up and softly stroking her friend's face. “I swear on my life I'll never hurt you again.”

The two looked into each other's eyes, both of them blushing fiercely... Raya squirming slightly in her bonds, Namaari continuing to rest her soft hand on Raya's tender cheek. Before the moment could get too awkward, Namaari lowered her hand and narrowed her eyes.

“Except during sparring sessions, of course,” she said with a taunting smirk. “I won't hold back during those.”

“You better not,” said Raya. She then began to shift in her bonds again, testing her wrist ropes once more as her energy started to return. “You know, I think I prefer seeing _you_ tied up.”

“...oh?”

“Yeah, was lots of fun watching you squirm,” Raya continued. “Struggling around, grunting into that dirty rag... it was a pretty good look for you.”

For a moment, Namaari looked slightly annoyed with Raya's words. Knowing that the princess of Heart had enjoyed tying her up and taunting her was a serious blow to her pride as a warrior... but at the same time, she couldn't help but blush, realizing that Raya's words were more of a compliment than a taunt.

“Actually, I had this recurring dream back when I was swiping Gem pieces. I imagined myself sneaking into your room, getting the jump on you, and leaving you all tied up and gagged while I made off with Fang's gem piece. Maybe sneaking in a few taunts about your undercut and your tendency to nerd out over dragons while I was at it.”

As Raya spoke, Namaari could sense a slight tremble in her voice, as if Raya wasn't so much relating a memory as she was sharing a fantasy she was ever so slightly embarrassed about. Namaari gave her a confident reply.

“I would've had my revenge, you know.”

“I'd have looked forward to it.”

The two princesses then exchanged a laugh together... imagining what might've been if they'd been friends from the start... how far along their relationship might be now. And even still... they'd only been friends for two weeks and they were already on such good terms that they trusted the other one to tie them up... they already knew each other's most sensitive ticklish spots, and they were discussing old memories of the past as if they'd happened last week.

One could only imagine how far along their friendship would be given as much time as they'd been foes.

“Guess we need to work on our escape techniques,” said Raya, still shifting around in her ropes. “Both of us.”

“Are you proposing we keep doing this?” asked Namaari, her face getting even redder.

“Mmm, why not? We both need to get better at escaping, and if we don't want to kill our foes, we'd better get used to restraining them as well... the better we get at escaping, the better we'll need to be at rope tying, wouldn't you say?”

Raya was leaning in again, and Namaari could see her biting her lip ever so slightly... so slightly it's likely she didn't even notice she was doing it.

“...I'll... think about it,” said Namaari, before gently turning Raya around. “For now, let's get these ropes off you before your limbs get too sore.”

“Right,” Raya replied, blushing as well as Namaari finally freed her from her bonds. The princess reached up and rubbed her wrists as soon as she was freed, then she sat up on the side of the bed and looked back at Namaari. “So... next time it's your turn to be tied up again, right?”

Namaari scooted over and sat down next to Raya. She looked at her, thinking about everything they'd been through the past two weeks, and just what the future held for them. Raya wanted to go on more adventures... and Namaari imagined she wouldn't be able to stay around this stuffy palace for too long either.

“I told you, we'll see,” said Namaari. “You might have to get the jump on me before that happens again.”

“Hmmm... guess we'll find out then, won't we, _dep la_?”

As Raya stood up, she placed a hand on Namaari's shoulder, giving her a gentle smile before getting up from the bed and walking over to the window. Namaari remained seated, watching as the sun shined down on the Heart princess' beautiful body... then, finally, she got up from the bed to join her.

She was still unsure about what the future held for her and Raya, but for the first time, she began to believe that it was as bright as the midday sun. As she stood next to her fellow princess, she felt a warmth from her presence that even the sun couldn't match, and she could feel Raya's soft hand reach over and take hers.

_You trusted me with your life,_ thought Namaari, turning and looking into Raya's eyes.  _And in doing so, you saved mine._


End file.
